The dark warehouse on the edge of downtown Baton Rouge that houses the 13th Gate came alive this weekend as hundreds of hopefuls gathered to audition for the acclaimed haunted house's 13th year of scaring its patrons.

"What we're looking for is enthusiasm," said Midnight Productions owner Dwayne Sanburn. "If you love Halloween, if you love scaring people, this is the place for you. You'll find a great, fun, scary family to be a part of, and you'll have a great Halloween."

The auditions continue this weekend with an open casting call on Sept. 6 and Sept 7 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sanburn expects to see about 400 people in total. They'll end up hiring about 250 to help cover the 13th Gate through the fall.

Sanburn suggests those interested in auditioning come with a prepared monologue or an idea of what kinds of special, scary skills or tactics they have like accents, talents, costumes.